Kahnawake, Quebec, June 5, 2019: The First Nations Chiefs of Police Association (FNCPA) acknowledges each of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people and their families, friends, and communities. We recognize the importance of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and gratefully acknowledge the contributions of everyone who participated in the National Inquiry, especially the families and survivors, Elders and Grandmothers who shared their stories and guided the work of the National Inquiry. We support the findings of the Inquiry as presented in its final report Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and accept its conclusion that colonialism, systemic “human rights and Indigenous rights abuses and violations committed and condoned by the Canadian state represent genocide against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people.”
The FNCPA fully acknowledges the painful histories and complexities of the relationships between Indigenous Peoples and the police. We are committed to strengthening our relationships with the First Nations communities we serve and to facilitating the highest level of professionalism and accountability in our First Nations police services, in a manner that reflects the unique cultures, constitutional status, social circumstances, traditions and aspirations of First Nations. The FNCPA pledges to renew its efforts to develop innovative methods to enhance the safety and wellness of our communities, to re-examine our policies and protocols, and to ensure that our work respects and protects the safety of all community members through culturally sensitive and trauma-informed policing.
The First Nations Chiefs of Police Association, on behalf of our member police services, will continue to review and learn from the report in order to identify how the FNCPA and its member services can implement recommendations outlined in the report. We strongly endorse the recommendation that:
The federal government’s First Nations Policing Program must be replaced with a new legislative and funding framework, consistent with international and domestic policing best practices and standards that must be developed by the federal, provincial, and territorial governments in partnership with Indigenous Peoples.
We renew our call to the Government of Canada to immediately recognize First Nations police as an essential service and to provide equitable resources so that the FNCPA and its member services are better equipped to provide the safety and protection that Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA people and all First Nations community members rightfully deserve.